Dhonielle Clayton

Dhonielle Clayton (born 1983) is an American author and chief operating officer of We Need Diverse Books.

Dhonielle Clayton
Born1983 Edit this on Wikidata (age 40)
OccupationWriter, librarian, high school teacher, chief operating officer Edit this on Wikidata
Employer
Awards
  • The Ember Award (2021) Edit this on Wikidata
Websitehttps://www.dhonielleclayton.com/ Edit this on Wikidata

Early life and education

Clayton was born in Washington, D.C. She went to Our Lady Of Good Counsel in Wheaton, Maryland. She received a Bachelor of Arts from Wake Forest University in 2005, a Master of Arts from Hollins University in 2008, and Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from The New School in 2012.[1][2]

Career

Beyond writing, Clayton is president and owner of Cake Creative and Electric Postcard Entertainment, two boutique book packagers and Chief Operating Officer of We Need Diverse Books,[3] which seeks to increase representations of marginalized groups in children and young adult literature.[4] She also works as a sensitivity reader for children's literature and works to identify stereotypes or inauthentic portrayals of Black characters.[5][6] She has also advocated for books to better represent people of color.[7][8]

In 2019, Clayton and Zoraida Córdova started a podcast together called Deadline City. Together they co-host episodes and talk about publishing topics and their own experiences in publishing.[9]

Criticism

In 2019, Clayton attracted criticism for negative Tweets about a student of Northern State University, who had advocated for the inclusion of three books by persons of colour, including Bryan Stevenson's memoir Just Mercy about racial injustice, instead of a YA novel by Sarah Dessen, in the university's "Common Reads" program. Clayton later deleted the tweets.[10][11]

Selected texts

Tiny Pretty Things series (2015–2023)

Clayton co-authored the Tiny Pretty Things series with Sona Charaipotra.[4][12] The series, which debuted in 2015, follows three teenage dance students at New York's American Ballet Company.[13][14] Kirkus referred to volume one as "a page-turner with heart."[15]

In 2020, Tiny Pretty Things made its debut on Netflix as a series.[16][17]

The Belles series (2018–2023)
Main article: The Belles

The Belles series consists of three novels: The Belles (2018), The Everlasting Rose (2019) and The Beauty Trials (2023). The series was inspired by Clayton's interest as a teenager in magazines, beauty and how they affected the way she viewed herself later. The fantasy young adult novel centers a 16-year-old girl and her sisters, tasked with restoring beauty to a colorless grey world.[18][19][20]

Blackout (2021)
Main article: Blackout (young adult novel)

Blackout, co-authored with Tiffany D. Jackson, Angie Thomas, Nic Stone, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon, was published June 22, 2021 by Quill Tree Books. The authors have cited the book as being Clayton's "brainchild."[21]

Blackout is currently slated to become a movie and TV show produced by the Obamas for Netflix.[22]

Awards and honors

In 2021, Clayton won the IGNYTE Awards' Ember Award for Unsung Contributions to Genre.[23][24]

Four of Clayton's books are Junior Library Guild selections: The Belles (2018)[25] and The Everlasting Rose (2019),[26] as well as the book and audiobook editions of Blackout (2021).[27][28]

The Belles book was a New York Times bestseller. The Chicago Public Library (CPL)[29] and Kirkus Reviews[18] named it one of the best young adult books of 2018. CPL also included it on their list of the best teen book covers of the year.[30] The Marvellers was a New York Times bestseller.[31] Kirkus Reviews named it one of the best young adult books of 2022.[31]

Blackout was named one of the best young adult novels of 2021 by Publishers Weekly.[32]

Awards for Clayton's writing
Year Work Award Result Ref.
2018 The Belles Booklist Editors' Choice: Books for Youth Selection [33]
Goodreads Choice Award for Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction Nominee [34]
2019 ALA Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults Selection [35]
ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults Selection [36][37]
Children's & Teen Choice Book Awards Finalist [38]
Locus Award for Best Young Adult Book Nominee [39]
Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book Nominee [40]
2020 Black Enough Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults Selection [41]
The Everlasting Rose IGNYTE Award for Best Young Adult Novel Nominee [42]
2022 Blackout ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults Top 10 [43][44]
Audie Award for Short Stories or Collections Winner [45]
Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers Selection [46]
The Marvellers Cybils Award for Elementary and Middle Grade Speculative Fiction Finalist [47]
2023 The Rumor Game Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers Selection [48]

Published works

Standalone books

The Belles trilogy
  1. The Belles (2018)
  2. The Everlasting Rose (2019)
  3. The Beauty Trials (2023)

Conjureverse series
  1. The Marvellers (2022)
  2. The Memory Thieves (2023)

The Mirror series

Each of the books in The Mirror series is authored by a different author. Clayton authored the second book in the series.

  • Shattered Midnight (2022)

Tiny Pretty Things series
  1. Tiny Pretty Things with Sona Charaipotra (2015)
  2. Shiny Broken Pieces with Sona Charaipotra (2016)

Short stories
  • "When the Moonlight Isn't Enough" in The Radical Element, edited by Jessica Spotswood (2018)
  • "The Need for Kisses" in Well-Read Black Girl: Finding Our Stories, Discovering Ourselves, edited by Glory Edim (2018)
  • "The Way We Love Here" in Meet Cute: Some People Are Destined to Meet (2018)
  • "You Know Nothing About Love" in Unbroken: 13 Stories Starring Disabled Teens, edited by Marieke Nijkamp (2018)
  • "Hearts Turned to Ash" in A Phoenix First Must Burn, edited by Patrice Caldwell (2020)
  • "The House of Black Sapphires" in Vampires Never Get Old: Tales with Fresh Bite, edited by Zoraida Córdova and Natalie C. Parker (2020)

Anthologies edited
  • A Universe of Wishes: We Need Diverse Books Anthology (2020)

References
  1. "Alumni Sona Charaipotra, MFA Creative Writing '12, and Dhonielle Clayton, MFA Creative Writing '12, Co-Authored 'Tiny Pretty Things' Adapted to Netflix Series". New School News. 6 September 2019. Archived from the original on 2020-02-23. Retrieved 2020-02-23.
  2. "Dhonielle Clayton." Gale Literature: Contemporary Authors, Gale, 2016. Gale Literature Resource Center, https://link-gale-com.unr.idm.oclc.org/apps/doc/H1000318714/LitRC?u=reno&sid=LitRC&xid=65e0a8a2 . Accessed 2020-02-23.
  3. Clark, Sanina (2022-01-13). "Q & A with Dhonielle Clayton". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on 2022-09-29. Retrieved 2023-04-04.
  4. Elam, Bridget (2019-09-12). "Author Dhonielle Clayton discusses the need for diverse books". WS Chronicle. Archived from the original on 2019-09-13. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
  5. Shapiro, Lila (2018-01-05). "What the Job of a Sensitivity Reader Is Really Like". Vulture. Archived from the original on 2019-11-05. Retrieved 2020-02-23.
  6. Neary, Lynn (2017-02-28). "Experts Or Censors? The Debate Over Authors' Use Of Sensitivity Readers". NPR.org. Archived from the original on 2020-02-25. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
  7. Valby, Karen (2019-07-19). "Why Have Novels About Royalty Stormed the Y.A. Best-Seller Lists?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2020-02-23. Retrieved 2020-02-23.
  8. Ettinger, Savi (2019-09-05). "Women of color as artists: Kiran Ahluwalia vs. Dhonielle Clayton". The NC Triad's altweekly. Archived from the original on 2020-02-23. Retrieved 2020-02-23.
  9. "A podcast and destination". Archived from the original on 2021-10-20. Retrieved 2021-10-20.
  10. Graham, Ruth (2019-11-15). "The 2017 College Grad Who Got Attacked by a Horde of YA Authors Had No Idea What She Was Getting Into". Slate Magazine. Archived from the original on 2020-10-07. Retrieved 2020-10-07.
  11. Wong, Julia Carrie (2019-11-16). "Hey, young adult authors: writing for teenagers is no excuse to act like them". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2021-04-19. Retrieved 2020-10-07.
  12. "Tiny Pretty Things". Publishers Weekly. 2015-04-27. Archived from the original on 2019-04-01. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
  13. "Tiny Pretty Things". Kirkus Reviews. 2015-02-16. Archived from the original on 2022-11-11. Retrieved 2023-04-04.
  14. Stevenson, Deborah (2015). "Tiny Pretty Things by Sona Charaipotra". Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books. 69 (1): 16–17. doi:10.1353/bcc.2015.0668. ISSN 1558-6766. S2CID 145420721.
  15. TINY PRETTY THINGS. 2015-03-01. Archived from the original on 2020-09-24. Retrieved 2020-09-30. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  16. Petski, Denise (2019-08-06). "Netflix Orders 'Tiny Pretty Things' Ballet Drama Series Based On Book; Sets Main Cast". Deadline. Archived from the original on 2019-12-05. Retrieved 2023-04-04.
  17. "TV: Tiny Pretty Things; One of Us Is Lying". Shelf Awareness. 2019-08-16. Archived from the original on 2023-03-16. Retrieved 2023-04-04.
  18. "The Belles". Kirkus Reviews. 2017-11-13. Archived from the original on 2022-01-03. Retrieved 2023-04-04.
  19. Quealy-Gainer, Kate (2018-01-17). "The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton (review)". Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books. 71 (6): 242. doi:10.1353/bcc.2018.0088. ISSN 1558-6766. S2CID 201722028.
  20. "The Belles". www.publishersweekly.com. 2017-11-20. Archived from the original on 2019-08-31. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
  21. Clark, Sanina (2021-06-17). "'Blackout' Authors on Centering Black Love". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on 2023-03-02. Retrieved 2023-04-04.
  22. Littleton, Cynthia (2021-07-12). "'Blackout' Anthology Coming to Netflix From Obamas' Higher Ground and Temple Hill". Variety. Archived from the original on 2022-08-17. Retrieved 2023-04-04.
  23. "2021 Ignyte Awards Results". FiyahCon2021. 28 August 2021. Archived from the original on 2022-06-28. Retrieved 2022-06-17.
  24. "2021 Ignyte Awards Winners". Locus Magazine. 18 September 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-09-19. Retrieved 2022-06-21.
  25. "The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton". Junior Library Guild. Archived from the original on 2022-01-03. Retrieved 2022-01-03.
  26. "The Everlasting Rose by Dhonielle Clayton". Junior Library Guild. Archived from the original on 2022-01-03. Retrieved 2022-01-03.
  27. "Blackout". Junior Library Guild. Archived from the original on 2022-01-01. Retrieved 2023-04-04.
  28. "Blackout (Audiobook) by Dhonielle Clayton". Junior Library Guild. Retrieved 2023-04-04.
  29. "Best Teen Fiction of 2018". Chicago Public Library. Archived from the original on 2022-05-28. Retrieved 2022-01-03.
  30. "Best Teen Book Covers of 2018". Chicago Public Library. Archived from the original on 2022-01-03. Retrieved 2022-01-03.
  31. "The Marvellers". Kirkus Reviews. 2022-03-02. Archived from the original on 2022-05-28. Retrieved 2023-04-04.
  32. "Best Books 2021: Publishers Weekly". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on 2023-03-27. Retrieved 2023-04-04.
  33. "Booklist Editors' Choice: Books for Youth, 2018". Booklist. 2019-01-01. Archived from the original on 2022-01-07. Retrieved 2023-04-04.
  34. "The Belles". Goodreads. Archived from the original on 2017-08-28. Retrieved 2022-01-03.
  35. "Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults: 2019". Booklist. 2019-03-15. Archived from the original on 2019-04-07. Retrieved 2023-04-04.
  36. "2019 Best Fiction for Young Adults". Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). 2019-01-17. Archived from the original on 2022-09-29. Retrieved 2023-04-04.
  37. "Best Fiction for Young Adults: 2019". Booklist. 2019-03-15. Archived from the original on 2023-02-12. Retrieved 2023-04-04.
  38. "The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton". Junior Library Guild. Archived from the original on 2022-01-03. Retrieved 2022-01-03.
  39. "2019 Locus Awards Winners". Locus Online. 2019-06-29. Archived from the original on 2019-06-30. Retrieved 2022-01-03.
  40. "2019 Hugo Awards". The Hugo Awards. 2019-07-28. Archived from the original on 2019-07-29. Retrieved 2022-01-03.
  41. "2020 Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults". Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). 2020-01-06. Archived from the original on 2022-10-05. Retrieved 2023-04-04.
  42. Tejada, Andrew (2020-10-17). "Announcing the Winners of the Inaugural Ignyte Awards!". Tor.com. Archived from the original on 2022-02-20. Retrieved 2022-01-03.
  43. "Best Fiction for Young Adults: 2022". Booklist. 2022-03-15. Archived from the original on 2021-12-20. Retrieved 2023-04-04.
  44. Serbekian, Michael (2022-02-04). "YALSA names 2022 Best Fiction for Young Adults". American Library Association. Archived from the original on 2022-06-04. Retrieved 2023-04-04.
  45. "2022 Audie Awards". Audio Publishers Association. Archived from the original on 2023-02-06. Retrieved 2023-04-04.
  46. "2022 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers". Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). 2022-02-04. Archived from the original on 2022-10-13. Retrieved 2023-04-04.
  47. "2022 Cybils Awards Finalists". Locus Online. 2023-01-04. Archived from the original on 2023-02-02. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  48. "2023 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers". Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). 2023-02-01. Archived from the original on 2023-03-27. Retrieved 2023-04-04.
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